Let them eat CAKE!

Um...yea!!  Everybody loves cake!  Even if you claim you don't, you're probably just on a fad diet and will soon fall off the bandwagon.  And if/when you do, this recipe will be there to pick you up.  You're welcome!

This cake has all kinds of good stuff...the cake itself, yummy frosting, and cookies.  AND it's 4 layers so it's quite the showstopper! 

Because of all the great things that this cake encompasses, there are technically 3 recipes that you'll be following: one for the cake layers, one for the frosting, and one for the tasty cookie cream filling.  If that sounds daunting, don't be such a wuss!  This will be FUN and everyone will LOVE it!

I saw a bumper sticker during my drive this morning that said "Cook Tasty Food for Those You Love."  I couldn't agree more.  If you love no one, besides the fact that you need to lighten up, you can make this for your darn self!  It's an equal opportunity cake!

Now, on to the good stuff:

Chocolate Cookie Cake

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz sour cream
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 recipe Cookie Filling (see recipe below)
1 recipe Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting (see recipe below)
4 crushed Oreos

Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans. Set them aside for now.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (I'm partial to KitchenAid) combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add milk, sour cream, melted chocolate, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low for a minute just to combine it all. Then beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Divide half of batter evenly between your 2 pans. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch layers and 25 to 30 minutes for 8-inch layers. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool.

Wash the 2 cake pans and grease and flour them. Divide the 2nd half of your batter as evenly as you can between pans. Bake and cool like you did with your 1st 2 layers.

Prepare the Cookie Filling, reserving the 3/4 cup filling (without crumbs) for the cake garnish.

To assemble the cake, put a cake layer on a serving plate and top with one-third of the remaining cookie filling, spreading filling evenly over layer. Add a second layer of cake and spread with another one-third portion of the cookie filling. Add another cake layer and spread with remaining cookie filling. Top with remaining cake layer.

Prepare the Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Stir reserved Cookie Filling and enough milk (about 2 to 3 teaspoons) to make it a drizzling consistency. Spoon onto center top of cake. Carefully spread filling to force some down sides of cake. Garnish top of cake with the 4 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.

Makes 16 servings.


Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting
1 cup (1/2 package) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate pieces and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and easy to spread.

Cookie Filling
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2-4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
10 Oreos

In large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until combined; beat on medium speed until very smooth. Beat in enough additional milk until frosting is easy to spread. Set aside 3/4 cup of mixture. Crush 10 chocolate sandwich cookies; stir into remaining mixture.

 
                             Yea, yea, it's off-center on the plate.  I'm a bit off-center in general!


Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam